Vegan Baked Ziti – As Seen on CTV Morning Live Vancouver!

This morning our owner Drew was welcomed back to the CTV Morning Live Vancouver headquarters in downtown Vancouver to perform another plant-based comfort food cooking demo! Our vegan mac ‘n cheese was such a hit, he decided to cook another great Fall classic comfort food dish with a plant-based twist – Baked Ziti!

Baked Ziti is an Italian-American influenced dish traditionally featuring pork sausage, fire roasted peppers, ricotta, tomato sauce, ziti pasta and baked with cheese until golden and brown. This plant-based version delivers all of the satisfaction with none of the animal products!

1/2 cup cashews, soaked in water for at least 2 hours, then blended into a puree in a Vitamix or blender

Freshly Chopped Herbs for Garnish

Olive Oil for Garnish

30 gr shredded dairy-free mozzarella, such as Daiya

Method:

Boil a pot of salted water and cook pasta according to package directions, until al dente. Rinse under cold water until ready to use. In a medium sauce pot, simmer tomato sauce and fold in the cashew puree to make a rose sauce. In a saute pan over medium heat, saute the plant-based sausage, garlic and fennel seeds for 4-5 minutes until slightly browned. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta, sauteed kale, peppers, sausage and tomato sauce and mix until evenly combined. Place the mixture into an oven-safe casserole dish, and top with the cheese.

Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes until browned and hot throughout. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and freshly cut herbs. Enjoy!